‘Still getting packed crowds, still getting amazing viewership’: Brett Lee on playing in Leagues post-retirement

Brett Lee. (Source – Twitter/X)

Former Australia pacer Brett Lee feels it is exciting for a cricketer to continue playing cricket after retirement, and seeing the stands filled with crowds brings them immense happiness.

Brett Lee, former India bowler Irfan Pathan and former South Africa batter Hashim Amla spoke about their life after taking retirement from cricket and how they are giving back to society. Lee while speaking about the amazing viewership cricket gets, shared his insights in Episode 10 of the podcast series “180 Not Out”.

“Even when you hang up the boots and you’re not playing from a professional point of view, the chance to play in these leagues, post the age of 40, and still getting packed crowds, still getting amazing viewership on television, it is exciting for us, that there are still people who watch you,” Lee told Raman Raheja, a Sports Fan, Sports-preneur, Media professional and a Creator who put together this Podcast “180 Not Out”.

Irfan Pathan, who also graced the Podcast, said he always wanted to give back to cricket post-retirement. “When I came to Jammu Kashmir cricket for two years, my contract was about … I don’t talk about money, but my contract was only 20% of the money I was getting with the Carribean Premiere League, I had a contract of Canadian Premiere League, on top of whatever the franchise will pick me, the league had promised me a certain amount. Canada Premiere League, T10 premier league, in 2018, and one more league,” said Pathan.

“There were four leagues. Compared to that I was getting only 15-20% amount in JKCA, so it was not about money, I wanted to give something back to cricket, Indian cricket that too. So I am glad I took that decision and came to serve JK cricket, which helped not only me as a mentor, but overall Jammu Kashmir cricket as well, and a lot of guys came up,” he added.

Hashim Amla highlighted the increasing scope for commentary in modern cricket due to the extensive analysis involved. He mentioned some of his favourite commentators.

“What I would say is that there is a greater scope for commentary now because there is so much analysis now and you need someone to explain the analysis. And if you can speak on TV like a 10-year-old is watching, you reach a really huge market. I think that’s why I love some of the commentary that I enjoy,” said Amla.

“When I listen to them, I listen to parts that are very basic and there are technical parts that I as a former cricketer can really enjoy. Different commentators cater to different age groups. Danny Morrison for T20 … I love him, he’s so casual. Test Cricket you have Mark Nicholas, Michael Holding, and Michael Atherton as well, I’ve enjoyed listening to their analysis and they explain the game really well! They are catering to a variety of age groups,” he added.

The groundbreaking podcast series by Sports-preneur Raman Raheja is diving deep into the rich 180-year history of cricket, tracing its evolution from its colonial origins to its current stature as a global phenomenon.

In subsequent episodes, the “180 Not Out” podcast will cover a diverse range of topics including the sport’s impact on players, leagues, controversies, commercialization, challenges, coaching, fitness, demographics, formats, records, and future prospects.

Shot at the backdrop of Legends League Cricket (LLC), hosted by Raman Raheja, it is perhaps going to be the biggest Cricket Podcast featuring 60+ Legends in a single season.